Coronavirus' greatest toll in many upstate NY counties is in inside nursing homes

Ashley Biviano, Binghamton Press & Sun-Bulletin

Friday

May 22, 2020 at 12:58 PM

New York's coronavirus nursing home death toll is staggering,

In Warren and Yates counties, 100% of deaths were linked to nursing homes, and in Tioga County, 95% of deaths are linked to one facility.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo halted visitors to nursing homes in mid-March as the state tried to slow the spread of COVID-19, but cases and deaths continue to rise, possibly from health care workers or other employees bringing the virus into facilities.

On May 10, Cuomo ordered mandatory testing for all nursing home employees, but positive coronavirus cases in some facilities had already risen to extreme levels among those who are most vulnerable to COVID-19. In New York, more than 5,300 deaths have been linked to nursing homes.

Dr. David Grabowski, professor of Health Care Policy at Harvard University, said resources haven't been concentrated to protect nursing home residents and other vulnerable people from contracting COVID-19.

He said mass testing of employees seems extreme, but it would allow resources to be focused on the residents.

"Also, by spending money on increased nursing home testing, we might be able to open up other parts of the economy, assuming good social distancing, use of masks, hand-washing, and the immediate quarantining of anyone that shows symptoms," Grabowski said.

As parts of upstate continue with the opening phase of reopening, nursing homes continue to struggle with active COVID-19 cases, even as the state, counties and facilities have tried to alleviate the impact of the coronavirus on the elderly.

Rebecca Williams, who lives in North Carolina, said communications from the Susquehanna Nursing & Rehabilitation facility in Johnson City, in Broome County, have been vague, sporadic and not clear about her father, Jim Whittemore, a Binghamton man who tested positive for the coronavirus in mid-April.

Williams said her family was provided with an ambiguous statement after the positive result, "We are taking precautions."

She said the facility had no plans to move her father out of his current room, and said he had a roommate. Williams said it is a "no-brainer" his roommate is likely positive for the virus as well.

Leah Carter, vice president of administrative services with Vestracare, operator of the facility, said on April 15 it expected all residents to "make a full recovery" and declined to comment further.

"My father just died this morning," Williams said May 8. He was 83.

Williams has another family member at the facility, on a different floor, who also tested positive for the virus. Her aunt, she said, unlike her father, has more than one chronic disease. According to a USA TODAY report, nearly 90% of adult patients hospitalized with COVID-19 in the United States had one or more underlying diseases.

She said her father likely held on for so long because aside from his Alzheimer's diagnosis, he was medically healthy.

"He fought it a documented 41 days," Williams said last week. "I'm sure he had it much longer, I am sure it took some time before he was able to get the accurate diagnosis."

Upstate NY rural deaths in nursing homes

Broome County has confirmed 32 COVID deaths, and the state links 23 deaths to nursing homes

Broome County confirmed 32 deaths from COVID-19 as of May 21. Broome officials said they do not count presumed coronavirus deaths in the numbers shared with the public.State data show 23 deaths were residents of three nursing homes, according to data last released May 20, and these figures do include presumed deaths.Twelve deaths at Susquehanna were linked to COVID-19, and one presumed to be related to the virus, according to state nursing home data.At Vestal Park, seven deaths were confirmed by the state as related to the virus and two deaths were presumed to be related. Willow Point, a county-run facility in Vestal, has had one death linked to the virus, according to the state, but county officials say there have been two deaths at the home.

While data on the state's nursing home deaths are self-reported by the facilities, figures released by counties are often different. Broome officials would not comment on whether the other deaths were related to nursing homes, but said it does have the figures.

A former nurse at Susquehanna Nursing & Rehabilitation said 25 residents have died from the virus.

Tioga County, 90% of deaths have been linked to nursing homes

Nineteen of the county's coronavirus 21 deaths were residents of Elderwood in Waverly, including 16 who died at the facility.Sixty-eight residents at the facility have been diagnosed with COVID-19.

Steuben County, 76% of deaths have been linked to nursing homes

County health officials confirmed Tuesday 31 of the 41 coronavirus deaths in the county are connected to three nursing homes: Hornell Gardens, Elderwood at Hornell and the IRA Davenport SNF.Twenty-one Hornell-area nursing home residents have died. Ten Bath-area nursing home residents have died.

Yates County, 100% of deaths have been linked to nursing homes

Six deaths have been reported in Yates County due to the virus by the state. Those six were nursing home residents, all at the The Homestead at Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Hospital, a nursing facility in Penn Yan.Steuben County confirmed people who tested positive for the virus traveled to The Homestead but would not confirm Thursday if the people were nursing home residents or health care workers.

Warren County, 100% of deaths have been linked to nursing homes

Warren County Health Services confirmed Monday a total of 221 COVID-19 cases among county residents since the outbreak began. Of those, 113 involve residents in nursing homes, 11 in assisted living and 97 in the community. Twenty-nine nursing home or assisted living residents died from the virus.According to county health officials, 23 of those who died lived in nursing homes, four resided in assisted living, and two lived at home.

Virus 'likely' brought in by staff

Gov. Andrew Cuomo put a halt on visitors to nursing homes on March 13, with exceptions made in end-of-life situations.

Grabowski said since facilities don't see visitors, new COVID-19 cases are likely being brought in unknowingly by asymptomatic staff.

"In order to stop these outbreaks, we need to provide nursing homes with testing for staff and residents," Grabowski said adding that ideally staff could be tested prior to each shift and residents would be tested at least twice per week.

When Cuomo mandated nursing homes must begin testing all employees twice a week, he said the rule was made possible by the expansion of testing capacity statewide.

According to the Long Term Care Coalition's Emergency Action Plan for elder-care facilities, a New York Department of Health surveyor should conduct daily onsite monitoring visits at each facility with residents who have COVID-19 to ensure infection control practices and staffing levels are safe.

Testing of nursing home staffs has largely been left to the discretion of home administrators. Some have done only limited testing to date, and both employees and family members have claimed staff members at some homes worked when they were sick.

Becky Kostyshak, a nurse who was employed at the Susquehanna Nursing and Rehabilitation center, said she's not sure of her job status since she went public about some concerns.

"I was notified on March 23 I was exposed to COVID-19 by a visitor in the nursing home," Kostyshak said. "The problem with this there were no visitors allowed."

Kostyshak said she asked administration if she would be contacted by the Broome County Health Department, but said she never heard from it, and opted to self-quarantine.

Kostyshak said she eventually called the health department to say she was exposed to the virus.

"I found out a few days later I was the nurse of people that tested positive for COVID-19," said Kostyshak, who later developed some symptoms of the virus but did not fit the criteria to be tested at the time so she isolated and recovered at home.

Regarding testing capability, Broome County officials said it can only speak for Willow Point and not for other area nursing homes. Broome County Executive Jason Garnar said with the new testing mandate, part of the plan to test Willow Point employees involves directing them to the testing site at Binghamton University.

Garnar said testing Willow Point employees alone would involve testing about 400 to 500 people twice per week.

Medical professional tests positive: Willow Point nursing home sees first COVID-19 case, residents to be tested

Grabowski said if staff test positive for the virus, nursing homes need to be able to pay these staff to stay home, quarantine, and draw on additional workers to fill needed shifts, and he said hazard pay may need to be instituted.

Cuomo said if a nursing home operator does not follow the new testing procedures, it will lose its license.

Vestal Park administrator Tami Bogausch said, "We are very proud of our hard working staff and their dedication to our residents and maintaining a high standard of infection control."

Steuben County officials confirmed Tuesday 21 deaths in the county were Hornell-area nursing home residents.

Florence Green, a Hornell Gardens resident for 11 years, tested positive for the virus on April 8, according to her granddaughter, Tarah Green. Three days later, Florence died.

Tarah said she strongly believes her grandmother contracted the virus through an employee at Hornell Gardens.

"I felt the miscommunication, the grossly large number of COVID-19 cases in that one building and the lack of communication from staff," Tarah said.

More: Cuomo talks reopening NY, nursing homes

Florence's COVID-19 test was administered April 7, and Tarah said her parents would be called with the results, but they never received a call. When Tarah's aunt called to speak with Florence the next day, an employee told her Florence had tested positive. Her parents did not receive a call from the home; instead, Tarah's father called the facility himself to check in.

The day before Florence died, Tarah was told she could visit Florence at her own risk, but she opted for a video chat instead. "Gram knew who I was, she addressed me by name and told me that she loved me."

But as they were speaking, Florence was spitting up and Tarah said she asked the activities director to give Florence something to spit into so she wouldn't choke. "The activities director got her a Kleenex," Tarah said.

"I have friends that are facing what my family faced with my Gram in Hornell Gardens," Tarah said. "Friends that have loved ones who have tested positive for the COVID-19 within Hornell Gardens. My heart breaks for these residents and their families."

Tarah said the circumstances surrounding her grandmother’s death are troublesome She said she contacted Hornell Mayor John Buckley, U.S. Rep. Tom Reed and state Sen. Tom O’Mara, and filed a complaint with the New York State Department of Health.

Nursing homes: Coronavirus complications lead to 8 deaths at Bath nursing home

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This article originally appeared on Binghamton Press & Sun-Bulletin: Coronavirus' greatest toll in many upstate NY counties is in inside nursing homes

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